You clearly brought the sun back with you! Could it be more gorgeous today? Next 2 are supposed to be scorchers though. What a change from last summer huh.

Welcome home! And to the TR.

Thanks on the top, it was a mothers day present from Evan...except Jeff really picked it out and gave it to Evan to give me, which usually bugs Evan except he liked it to. I was told when I opened it that it would be great on the cruise so kind of had to bring it! I do like it a lot...but it was a little warm for the bahamas which Jeff seemed to realize as I dressed and commented that he hoped I wouldn't be too warm. Which was funny as when I opened it he mentioned how it can get chilly on deck. Uh...that was in Alaska. LOL! Inside though it was ok for most of the night.

Thrilled to have you here.

They are so little in those pics it cracks me up, just babies!

Here's a real baby though

Eric wasn't so sure

and my favorites

Thanks Millie, I think all families have their challenges and we all muddle along and do our best, it's about all you can do!

Aw thanks and

Click to expand...

Maybe I did bring the sun back with.....but tonight I will be wishing I brought back some A/C too!

The pictures of your little guys are adorable!! Really sweet and just priceless!

Google AdSenseGuest Advertisement

Maybe I did bring the sun back with.....but tonight I will be wishing I brought back some A/C too!

The pictures of your little guys are adorable!! Really sweet and just priceless!

Click to expand...

Thanks. They of course don't remember that trip, it was in 2001 at DL but Evan was SO into the characters it was adorable. He'd just run up and hug them. Hug hug hug and get his book signed. Which at 2 is a little unusual, but he had no character fear whatsoever. He waited a full for that and ran away from Santa instead.

So very true, it's going to be miserable today and tomorrow in the house. We will likely decamp and cook down at the lake and hang there till the bugs drive us home both nights.

For the whole 2 nights we need AC for the entire summer I'll still take it, though I kind of wish it was on the weekend. Still, my office has AC! LOL!

LOVE your learning curve. Your PTR really left my head spinning -- so the recap was great thanks

Seems funny to see the pictures from your earlier trips -- esp the first one with your whole gang when the E's were so young.

and I loved the tips - Katie will be in 5th grade for our next trip, and we are taking her out of school (I shouldn't but I just can't deal with the crowds when she is actually off school so that's that!). so I will have to be much more diligent in planning the school work end of it.

I'm so looking forward to reading up on your trip. I hope you get to enjoy your own deck more and more as you write your report!

and I loved the tips - Katie will be in 5th grade for our next trip, and we are taking her out of school (I shouldn't but I just can't deal with the crowds when she is actually off school so that's that!). so I will have to be much more diligent in planning the school work end of it.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry about 5th grade unless there is a big project that's due around that time. Eric had one on our 2009 trip. He was only in 2nd but it was the highly capable class and so we actually worked on it on the plane on the way there and then sent it from FW to his teacher. He could have, and should have, had it done before we left but there were some communication issues, some confusion on actual deliverables and well...it was 2nd grade. Big projects are the only thing I'd worry about in 5th, that and any state testing and planning around those dates.

It is so much nicer with low crowds, I'll only see those on girls trips for the foreseeable future but the good news is that we know enough now to work around those crowds. Thankfully our one park day wasn't bad at all! If I was planning a trip for just the 4 of us, our spring break is ideal as it's not when most schools are and often falls into lower rates. But K has a different school calendar and my nephews do as well so scheduling our next one is a little challenging at best if we want to do the big thing. I hate not knowing it's set in stone, driving me nuts. PDD I guess. That and an in house dichotomy. 2 that want big family WDW trip with cousins, grandparents etc. 2 that want another cruise. Can't do both over the next 2 years. I don't think. At least we shouldn't. It will be interesting.

Can not even imagine living in a place where a/c was needed for only 2 days of the entire summer. Our a/c is usually turned on in late April and stays on until October!

Click to expand...

Well if we are lucky (or unlucky lol) it could be as much as 2 weeks. That happened 2 years ago. Last summer, not once. As a result most folks don't have it at home, in fact growing up no one had it in their cars..they sold versions with and without.

For the cost and the very limited use it's not worth it. We have the option to add it with the way our furnace is set up and opted not to but could at any time. I would like to put ceiling fans in all the bedrooms through. Jeff has fought me on it but after this trip, where every villa had one in at least the master, we used it every night in the master and it didn't wake him...I think I can get my way on it for next summer!

Ah, there is nothing like the last few days before a trip. They drag on and on and on! I had a busy weekend prior to the trip, heading to the southern part of the state for a work conference. I was originally scheduled to be there thru Sunday. Typically I'd take the family with, they get a free vacation at a cool spot, while I work. Only downside is the guilt I get from them. But with the airshow, Jeff was maxed out on vacation and with it being a 4 hour drive and my stupid eye condition, I wasn’t up for a solo trek. So I took my sister. It’s my favorite conference anyway and it was at an amazing location. We got out out and did a lovely hike. Thought I’d share a couple of pics from that one as in many ways I felt like I was on vacation already. A pre-vacation vacation.

Yeah, these summer events are rough.

Once Jeff decided to go to the airshow and booked an early Sunday morning flight, the concept of me not being home before he left started to stress him out. Which stressed me out. We had a few things up in the air. Not the E's, they’d have been fine as long as I was home by noon and if that was really a concern they could have gone to my parents. Nope, K was stressing Jeff out. About 6 weeks, maybe less, before the trip I got our cruise docs. In it, it very clearly stated that kids 16 and up needed state ID, that just a birth certificate wouldn’t do it. The E's had passports. For K, all we had was a copy of a certified copy of her BC. So I planted the seed. She needed to get her learners permit anyway, why not kill 2 birds with one stone. And why not do it in enough time that she’d have a “real” copy, not a paper version. Weeks went by. As the primary household, this fell into her mom’s area to get done.

Jeff had really hoped all this would be done before he left. And, as he was also taking some of our things with him, given that he was gone the longest he was checking and taking a bigger bag, I needed to coordinate that with him. I felt bad ditching my conference, it was a rather important awards dinner for clients but you pick your battles and it was good I went home. It definitely lessened his stress level and as a result, mine and let him get his trip started the right way. We ended up having a very nice night together and I think the fact that he knew I was coming home allowed him to take that full day and do what? Go to an airshow! With the boys. I thought I'd include it since for the 3 boys I think it felt like vacation started here for all 3 of them. They had a great day.

I'd resisted texting to confirm that Eric had on sunscreen. The kid burns if you look at him. He knows better, Jeff knows better.
Guess who was pink?

Ok, back to the ID drama.

Tuesday, 2+ weeks before the trip:She can't get it now b/c she’s not enrolled in drivers ed. They won't let her unless she's enrolled. We'll get a state ID.
Wednesday that same week:No sense in getting a state ID, turns out she can get her permit but needs to study for the test. We picked up the booklet. We'll do it first thing Monday.

K studies for the test over the weekend. I know this, she was at our house.

Monday – Wednesday. No word.

Thursday – Sunday: K was at an out of state soccer tournament. That they smoked at! I digress but suffice to say it was a great college showcase both for the team and for K individually.

On Monday:The DOL was closed today. I call DCL. After MUCH checking the CM assures me that it's a requirement for Alaska cruises but not for closed loop. I don't entirely trust it but feel mildly better. Still, we don't even have a certified copy of the BC.

Sometime Tuesday, TWO days before the trip: Kendall gets her permit. I figure out where I need to go to pick up my own certified copy of the BC if her mom doesn’t confirm one is available.

On Wednesday, ONE day before the trip: K's mom assures us she has a certified copy of the BC

While we knew there was a chance she didn't really need it and they wouldn't check, who wants to take that risk?

Honestly, there is something to be said for having your spouse gone the last few days before vacation. Not only would he have been a WRECK during the ID drama, I was able to pack, do laundry, work on FE gifts and work out every night without feeling like I was neglecting him at all. LOL! The kids were happy as they got to swim or do climbing wall while I was at the gym and it helped the time go faster. By Thursday morning we were in great shape.

Except for 4 things.
1. I had developed a rather alarming skin rash. I’d been to the dermatologist on Tuesday, gotten one Rx but was awaiting results of a culture and didn’t know if I’d have to pick up yet another Rx for it. I hadn’t heard from them yet and we were getting down to the wire. While I could get it filled in FL, the reality was it would be hard to do until our Vero days and I preferred to nip the looking like I had the measles aspect in the bud as soon as possible. They had also suggested a very specific face wash. Between Tuesday and Wednesday I had hit 4 stores looking for it. Clearly it’s effective. It was sold out at every.single.store! I still wanted to try and get it. While I had an alternative anything that kept me from looking like something out of contagion, was good. And necessary. I'm not that vain (or at least I’d like to think so but I probably delude myself) but yikes.
2. On Wednesday one of my cats had started throwing up. Multiple times in the morning. My dad was scheduled to watch both cats and I knew my mom would want nothing to do with a hurling cat. An occasional episode is one thing but this was 4-5 times. I called the vet and we agreed to wait a day and see. Nothing worse than an expensive vet visit for a cat that maybe just overate, and had a hairball or whatever.
3. I'd let Evan go to our Lake Civic Club with his friends with strict instructions not to leave until 12 and to be back by 5. At 12:15 I get a text, “going out on a boat with friends”. WHAT? I try to call him. No answer. I furiously text. DO NOT GET ON THE BOAT WITHOUT TALKING TO ME. Visions of him getting on a boat with strangers, boat crash, day of the trip all run through my head. Do I hear from him?

No.

4. I had to drop off the cats. Eric had an appointment from 1-2. My plan was to be at the office before, help set up and participate in a webinar which would eat almost all of my morning, and after his appointment go back to work, then go to my Chiro/PT appt, then pick up K as her mom's house is close to that office. Then take her back to the house, grab the cats and take them to my folks. Then hit the gym, feed everyone, and head to the airport for our red eye. Whew. It was a busy plan but a solid one.

While on the way to pick up Eric I call my mom to confirm drop off time.“We'll be at the Mariners game tonight” We are leaving at 5. Can you drop them between 4-5?"

AACK! She had told me this earlier. I had either completely or selectively forgotten. My plan had been to work right until the Chiro appointment at 5. I wouldn't get back to the office until 2:30 at the earliest. I had meetings. I had errands still to run. Okaaayyyy…change in plans. Sure, I could dump them without my folks there but mom wasn't keen on that at all. Why, who knows, they've watched them before but hey, they were doing me a favor.

At Eric's appointment I attempt to call my doctor and find out what was up with the culture. No results yet. Which they say is weird, they will look into it and call back. I drop Eric off after the appointment with a list of what to do to get the cats basically ready. Clean out litter boxes, pack up all supplies, have them down in the garage and I'll text you as I leave so you can get Melvin into the carrier.

I only have one carrier.

In the past, I’ve just done 2 trips. Or had a box leaving the vet for one. My $5 box carrier disappeared so it was back down to one. With the time change, no time for 2 trips.

At 3:30 I finally get feedback on a project that I was trying to get out before I left. A bulk email to our clients with some key info that had had too many cooks looking at it already. The list of suggested changes was extensive and while most were personal preference grammatical things…a few needed to be done. Ok, no problem, I should have time before the flight, right? Plus worst case we were bringing the kids laptop anyway as Kendall was doing an online Geometry Class. She also had a paper to write for AP English.

At 3:45 I get two different emails from co workers. With small random unusual technical issues that only I can help with. I tell them I can do it after I get the cats etc, and It would be early evening. Both almost melt down on me. I do it right then.

At 4:15 I’m rushing home, in my dress and heels, slamming cats into carriers as Eric couldn't corral the cat on his own. I don’t have to wear a dress to work and didn’t that day but was feeling the vacation vibe so had on a favorite, silk, Tommy Bahamas dress in a tropical pattern in the spirit of saying I’m outta here! Plus it was nice out and Eric’s appointment meant a good hour in the car with my sunroof open. Evan of course is not yet home from the lake. I'd told him to be home by 5 so he wasn't late but I didn't know what had happened with the boat situation. Thankfully I was too busy to stress about it.

I did not have time to change. I grabbed fat Melvin by the scruff of his neck and jam him into the carrier, magically avoiding any scratches, snags or even cat hair on my dress. I am quite positive I couldn't replicate that if I tried.

That's before he got fat. Picture a cat about 3 times that size.

I jam Hank into a drawstring type backpack to get him into the car. He’s a great car rider and I knew he'd be fine outside of a carrier.

I tear over to my parents, keeping an eye on my roving cat and hoping he doesn't jump in my lap. The phone rings. It's the dermatologist. I can't answer and besides the bluetooth is sporadic at best. I need my hands free in case I need to get the cat back in place. Instead of setting in the passenger seat he decides to head to the back, near the whining one in the carrier. Melvin HATES car rides. Definitely a love/hate relationship those two. I get there at 4:50. I unload everyone. I unload all the supplies. Litter, food, litterbox, scratching post. I am in a dress and heels. My parents have a hilly driveway.

No one offers to help. I can't complain I guess, they are doing me a favor and they don't know that Hank was maybe sick the day before. I haven't exactly shared that info as he's been fine for over 24 hours and has eaten, drunk and "voided". LOL! I'm annoyed, hot, sweat and flustered, but keep my mouth shut. As I am unloading, in my dress and heels, my mom bombards me.

Where will the litter go?
Where will they eat?
How often to they eat?
What is that? (scratching post, it’s a funky low curved one)
How much do we feed them?
Are they still fighting a lot?​

Jeesh woman, let me unload first! We have a rule at my house. Do NOT ask mom anything when she gets home from work until the following occurs:

She unloads whatever she is carrying up (laptop, purse, keys, old coffee cup etc).

She changes out of work clothes.

Seems reasonable to me. Basically to NOT attack mom in the garage as she is getting out of the car. Or on the stairs, or the minute she opens the door to the kitchen. Let her get settled or she might bite your head off. Clearly that didn't come from my mom. LOL!

I've told her I need to dump and run. She is driving us to the airport later. There is lots of time to go over the details. She wants it now. Ok, I’m late for the doctor, they charge if I no show or am late and they can't see me as a result but I take the time to briefly go through stuff and realize what items are missing. Namely a blanket so Hank doesn't get hair on my dad's chair, which we know he will try to take over and dad won't be thrilled about and the litter scooper which somehow Eric missed in his very helpful organizing and packing.

5:05 I am on the road to the Chiro. I see her for active release which in a way is a workaround from the fact that my insurance will not pay for therapeutic massage. They will for PT and for chiro. Go figure. It helps. A LOT. With the long flights, red eye, strange beds and such I am anticipating a regression with my neck and want to do what little I can before we leave to minimize it. I call. I'm a good 10-15 min away. No problem, they are running late (which actually isn't normal there). YAY! I get there, finally change out of the dress and heels and have some nice, albeit painful, work done on my neck, followed by PT. They were quite amused by my cat wrangling story. Only bad part is that with all the delays, it's now time to pick up K. I had hoped to hit the grocery store before to look for the elusive face wash. Oh well. Initially I'd gotten pushback on a 6pm pickup time for K. From Jeff. Our flight wasn't until almost 1am. However I knew I'd be in the area at 6, would have to deal with cats and wanted to make sure her bag worked as a carry on. At $25 per bag, I planned to only check one for the 4 of us. He'd originally thought I could pick her up at 10. That was not on my radar at all to be running around that late. I won. But would she be ready? Historically there had been issues in this area.

6:00. I call home. Evan is there. As feared, he was already on the boat when he texted and then got out of service range. He WAS on the boat with people I knew, and ones I knew well. I would have okayed it. He assured me up and down that he wouldn't have gotten on the boat had he not been positive it would be ok. Still, I read him the riot act over the Bluetooth. Not sure he caught all of it.

I pull up at her K's mom's house. Her bag, gasp, is already outside and ready to go! I have NEVER seen that, for any pickup, ever! I go up to get her, she is ready. Her mom is there, BC in hand and gives it directly to me so K doesn't lose it. She hands K her camera with strict instructions to take lots of pics and have a great time. She’s genuinely excited for K to go on this trip. Can I just tell you what a great start to the trip this was? Literally 5 minutes later we are on the road and off to the grocery store. My plan had been to look for the face wash and pick up some bars & bananas for layover and DME snacking so we didn’t spend a fortune at Starbucks when we landed at MCO. K and I discuss. Muffins are a vastly preferred option to bars. We find a great 12 pack on sale with flavors everyone likes, a nice bunch of bananas AND my face wash! Whoo hoo!

As we head out, about 6:30 now, K says. I need to look at the house (our house) for my book. The AP English book that is. Apparently she'd had it at our house on her last weekend there and thought she took it to her mom's but can't find it anywhere. Which means she's read maybe 3 chapters so far. She asks if we can go to the library and check one out if it isn't there. Ok sure, we can fit that in. We get home.

No book.

We check online at the library.

Checked out EVERYWHERE. One branch might have it but it’s a good 30 minute drive. Not doing that. I check a different library district. Checked out there too. Crap. Think. Think. Think. Seeing my workout going out the window and visions of driving to B&N which is NOT near the gym start dancing through my head.

Lightbulb.

I know!!! I can buy a copy and download it to my Kindle!

Ding ding ding, we have a winner. I take care of it confirm phone and kindle have synched it and by now it's…7. Charge the kindle, it's about dead, which seems odd but whatever. I decide that I've still got time to hit the gym and the boys can swim, we'll have dinner after, I'll shower, finish packing and then it will be time to go. We head to the gym and it was a great choice for all. The boys were bouncing off the walls with anticipation, Eric in particular. This helped and I hoped, would aid in their ability to actually sleep on the red eye. 3 of us feeling better (K declined, she'd run that morning and had awfully pretty hair for a red eye flight lol) we left. I had a book to return at the library that had been sitting in my car for at least a week. It was overdue. Evan asks if he can look while we are there, he wanted a book for the trip. Ugh. Ok, sure. Except this isn't our normal branch but it was on the way home from the gym. We can't find anything, even the drop box. Turns out they don't have a cool new release tween/teen section like our branch does and finding something new is not as easy as hoped. The staff agrees that our branch has a great section for that and wishes they did the same. Bummer. By now it's 8:40 and I'm getting twitchy. My mom will be there at 10:30 and we still have dinner, shower, finish packing. That work I'd wanted to do looms as well.

We have a fancy dinner of grilled ham and cheese and “older” bananas, effectively clearing out most of the kitchen. I make a batch of PB&J to take with us use up the rest of the bread. I shouldn't have, we never ate them. I pack up all the muffins individually, and the bananas, putting all the food plus some bars in an insulated bag that one of the kids will carry on. By the time all of that is done, I shower and finish packing…my mom has arrived and we are off to the airport.

Check in was uneventful but due to the late hour, only one security checkpoint is open, which wasnt all that close, and it was busy as a result. Not to mention that the kids are not the most efficient. Eric is thrilled he doesnt have to take his shoes off. Security tells Evan that he doesnt either. He reminds them he is 13. Ouch. This will not be the first time on the trip he is assumed to be younger. He takes off his shoes. Once through and reassembled, we hit our first bio break. A long walk, thanks to where security was open, and a mini monorail ride later we get to the South Terminal. Which is also the international one and odd to be flying out of. Ks bag is ridiculously heavy. 3 of us have rollers, she has a giant duffle from ODP that for the life of me does not look like it conforms to the guidelines but she uses it everywhere as a carryon with no issues. Other than it being a nightmare to carry.

Id really thought wed have a lot of time at the gate but it was maybe 30 minutes. The gate is PACKED! The Es kept trying to lay down on the floor. The icky airport carpet in a packed area. NO! SUCK IT UP! You are too old for this! Sold out flight. They ask for gate check volunteers. I have my DME tags ready just in case we can do this, for free. We get in the line and I stick them on our bags. They cut off the gate check option before we get our turn. RATS!

Erics companion, Chocolate, is excited to go.

A funny story about Chocolate. We were in the car on the way to the gym talking about sleeping on the plane and melatonin versus Benadryl versus Dramamine. The kids were asking if theyd get pillows or blankets and I said while I didnt know, I hoped so but not to count on it. They should wear a sweatshirt to use as a pillow if needed. I mentioned to Eric that Chocolate would make a great pillow.

Evan. Chocolate as a pillow? Thats gross! Why would anyone do that?

He had NO idea we were taking about a stuffed animal. I swear that boy is blonde sometimes.

I drug up the children with their drug of choice (melatonin x3 and Benadryl x1) to aid us along and we are the last group to board. Which gave me hope of a gate bag check but no dice. We get on the plane. Poor K gets to sit by a stranger, which shes used to for soccer. It was originally supposed to be Jeff but at least she gets the aisle seat. The real challenge is getting her bag in the overhead bin. I try to heft it up. Wont fit. Try the other side. Will fit but Im not quite tall enough so have to use my head to hold it in place while pushing up. K helps. We get it in. As we take off I think to myself

Here we go here we go here we go!!!!!!!!!

Which Jeff always says, out loud with a big old grin and little kid look on his face, anytime a plane (or rollercoaster lol) is taking off. I smile to myself.

We try to sleep. The kids all seem to manage some. I try. I am thwarted by three people.

The crackler
The tapper
The fouler​

The crackler sat next to K. Not only was he watching a movie on a digi player of some sort the entire red eye, he ate the entire red eye. Or at least it seemed like it. Crackle crackle went the bags as he opened them. Crackle crackle went his mouth as he munched away. At ONE in the morning. At TWO. At THREE. K swears she didnt hear it. She also swears she didnt sleep much. Those two seem incompatible to me.
The tapper was your classic tap away on the computer kind of traveler. Another bright screen and loud tapping. At ONE in the morning. At TWO. At THREE. Which happens. But he presented a false front. This guy literally had a sleep mask on the top of his head ready to pull down at any minute as if his plan had been to actually sleep. Liar. He never used it as best I can tell.
The fouler well he clearly ate something he shouldnt have before boarding. My stars! The first hour of the flight was well stinky. Silent but deadly. Thankfully it seemed to resolve itself after that.

I should have gotten out the headphones for my iphone but I was too lazy, and put on an eye mask but had forgotten to put in my carryon).

Our connection was in Minneapolis. Our new gate was a VERY VERY long ways away. Did I mention how heavy Ks bag was? Though our flight got in early, the next one was delayed. We ate muffins.

Once again, a sold out flight. Once again we were the last group to be called for boarding. As we wait in line a flurry of activity at the gate. More bags being checked! And ours are some of them. Id made the kids pull out suits at the first possible gate check so all of a sudden we are down to personal bags only, 1 per person! I am not entirely convinced that the DME tags will work as its kind of not legit but cant see why not either.

Despite them thinking otherwise, on this leg, they slept.

Chocolate apparently does make a good pillow!

Upon arrival we

Hit Starbucks. Big surprise I know.

And the bathroom!

Before we go to DME I do want to check on the bags though as Im not convinced. When we took our trip in 2009, Eric kept reading the signs as baggage clam. He has never lived it down and to this day we tell him we are heading to baggage clam. In fact K and Evan jumped in on it before I even had a chance! At baggage clam, I leave the kids at the carousel and go to baggage services. Who assures me that if the magic yellow tags were on, they will show up! WHO HOO!

Its time to pull these out

As we approach DME we see a huge crowd waiting in line and a separate line. With a CM at the front. Vouchers in hand I approach the CM who assures me that with the vouchers in hand, no need for the line. Evan cracks me up. He assures me that the reason we don't have to wait in line is due to my surpreme awesomeness and seems to think the vouchers are magically different than everyone elses. He is dead serious and gives me full credit for the speed in which we get through. I on the other hand think there is something wrong, that either a bunch of people are in line that don't need to be or that the CM was confused. I find it very hard to believe that that many people were trying to get on DME without vouchers but hey, what do I know. Bada bing bada boom and we whiz through the line and are on an official bus! I think we sat there for maybe 10 minutes. As we pull out I get a text from Jeff. wheels down. Thanks to our delay in MN, hes just behind us! Then he starts texting me pictures from the Kennedy Space Center store. It would appear he deleted them from his phone as they aren't in the uploads I did. Apparently he felt the need to pop in there as well as starbucks before heading to baggage claim. I mean clam.

Wait just a minute - I need to wipe the sweat from my, I mean your, brow!! Whew!! What a hubbub of activity leading up to the flight!!

I'm so glad you got all that stuff done and everything went okay. And I hope the people at the Mpls airport were nice to you! I'd hate to have people representing MY state be mean. We're supposed to be known for that MN Nice.

Sorry your flight mates were less than pleasant and so sleep-preventing!

You are superbly awesome with the DME!!! Love that!!

Baggage CLAM - sounds like how I would see it. Of course, I like to think I'd figure it out despite my poor vision!
Yay - you are home!!!